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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Tax

This Time, Taxpayers Shoulder None of $4.5 Billion BP Settlement Deal

In great news for taxpayers, unlike earlier settlements from the Gulf Oil spill, the settlement the U.S. Justice Department negotiated with BP stipulated that none of the penalties paid are tax-deductible.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Democracy

Analysis of 2012 Data through Election Day – November 13, 2012

This analysis documents that the first post-Citizens United presidential election afforded corporations and large donors the opportunity to use their wealth to amplify their voices far beyond the volume of the average member of the general public - threatening the basic American principle of political equality.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Democracy

New Analysis: Tiny Number of Wealthy Contributors Match Millions of Small Donors in Recent Election

A new analysis of data through Election Day from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and other sources by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund and Demos documents that big outside spenders drowned out small contributions in 2012.

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Blog Post | Health Care

What's Next on Health Care Costs? | Diane E. Brown

Now that the election is over, talk has turned to the need to work together and get results for America. It’s a tall order, and on the polarized issue of health care, it may seem at first like an impossible task. But I am hopeful that we can make significant progress together.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Democracy

Distorted Democracy:

A new analysis of pre-election data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and other sources by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund and Demos shows that outside spending in the first presidential election since Citizens United is living up to its hype: new waves of “outside spending” have been fueled by dark money and unlimited fundraising from a small number of wealthy donors.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Democracy

Statement on Supreme Court Passing on Revisiting Citizens United

Today the Supreme Court passed on the opportunity to revisit its 2010 Citizens United decision which is wreaking havoc on democracy and it has done so in a way that avoids giving the American public a much deserved explanation.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Health Care

At Stake: What’s on the Line for Health Care Consumers in the Pending Supreme Court Case

The outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will have far reaching impacts on consumers. In this issue brief, we highlight what’s at stake for Arizona consumers in the pending Supreme Court case.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG | Higher Ed

Real Estate Agents Call on Congress to Keep Student Loan Rates Low

Today, real estate agents joined Arizona PIRG to call for an extension of the low rate on federal student loans.  Congress has until July 1 to stop the interest rate on subsidized Stafford student loans from doubling to 6.8 percent.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG | Tax

U.S. SENATE VOTE ON FARM BILL A DISAPPOINTMENT; TAXPAYER DOLLARS STILL GOING TO BIG AG

The Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) is disappointed in the Senate’s approval of the 2012 Farm Bill, which will send tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to Big Ag. The Senate missed a golden opportunity to tackle the problem of wasteful agricultural subsidies, which have cost taxpayers $260 billion since 1995.  Instead, this bill recommits to taxpayer support for the largest agribusinesses.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG | Consumer Protection

Common-Sense Refinancing Options Could Help Arizonans and Stabilize Housing Market

Data released today by the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) and the Center for Responsible Lending finds that making it easier for homeowners to refinance their mortgages could give consumers more options, save money, and stabilize Arizona’s housing market. In Arizona alone, over 300,000 households would qualify, saving them about $937 million.

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Report | Arizona PIRG | Budget, Tax

Toward Common Ground for the Supercommittee

The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) and the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) have joined together to propose to the Supercommittee and to Congress as a whole a list of more than 50 recommendations to reform our future spending commitments. If enacted in their entirety, these changes would save taxpayers more than $1 trillion over the coming decade.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Financial Reform

Ten Reasons We Need The CFPB Now

As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) officially opened its door today, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund and consumer groups across the nation announced the results of a poll showing that an overwhelming majority of likely voters both support a new consumer agency (74%) and want Wall Street held “accountable” (77%).  In addition, the groups issued a report documenting “10 reasons” consumers need the new CFPB.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

High-Speed Rail: Public, Private or Both?

Private sector companies are likely to play a major role in the construction of high-speed rail lines in the United States. Public-private partnerships – or “PPPs” – have come to play an important role in the construction of high-speed rail lines around the world. The experience with high-speed rail PPPs, however, has been mixed.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Building A Better Health Care Marketplace

Consumers across the state know that the health insurance marketplace is broken. Insurers don’t compete for their business, instead offering take-it or-leave-it deals. Important information about coverage is buried in the fine print, making it hard to know what’s really covered. Instead of working to lower costs and improve quality, too many insurers focus on covering healthy enrollees and dumping the sick. And costs are continuing their unsustainable rise.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Tax

Tax Shell Game 2011

Tax havens are countries with minimal or no taxes, to which U.S.-based multinational firms or individuals transfer their earnings to avoid paying taxes in the United States. Users of tax havens benefit from access to America’s markets, workforce, infrastructure and security, but pay little or nothing for it—violating the basic fairness of the tax system. Abuse of tax havens inflicts a price on other American taxpayers, who must pay higher taxes—now or in the future—to cover the government’s revenue shortfall, or must deal with cuts in government services.

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Tools & Resources

  • Fighting Unjustified Premium Hikes
    It’s time for health insurers to get serious about lowering the cost of care instead of raising deductibles and hiking premiums.
    Learn more
    Join The Campaign
  • WHY DO YOU WANT TRANSIT?
    Why do you want to see passenger rail between Phoenix and Tucson? Tell us your reasons and we'll be sure our leaders get your message.
    Learn more
    Why Rail?
  • STOP TAX DODGERS
    Corporate tax avoidance cost taxpayers $100 billion last year. We're working to close the loopholes that allow companies to avoid paying the taxes they owe.
    Learn more
    Sign the petition
  • Building an Energy Efficient Arizona
    Arizona is at an energy crossroad — with a dirty past and the chance for a clean energy future. Read how Arizona can improve efficiency, reduce pollution and save money.
    Get the report

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